We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.

Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.

Newcastle-born Cheryl started her career on ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 as one of the members of Girls Aloud. She then went on to launch a solo career and became a judge on The X Factor in 2008.

You might also be interested in

Payne failed to make it past the judge’s houses stage but, following a second audition in 2010, was drafted into One Direction, who became a global chart phenomenon.

Cheryl’s relationship with the star began after her divorce from French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in 2016. She was previously married to the former England footballer Ashley Cole.

Following the end of her second marriage, the star, who was born Cheryl Tweedy, said she wanted to be known just by her first name.

Payne, originally from Wolverhampton, has gone on to forge a successful solo career after One Direction decided to take a break in 2015. His single Strip That Down, which was written by Ed Sheeran, was streamed globally more than a billion times last year.